Details
Following the completion of our Wansey Street Housing project, the pilot scheme for the ambitious regeneration of the Elephant & Castle, dRMM was selected through invited competition for this Harper Road site, forming the next phase of social housing for Family Mosaic Housing.
A series of individual buildings linked with shared stairwells creates a perimeter edge to a communal open court. This arrangement, and the coloured glazed terra cotta composition creates a cohesive whole whilst defining smaller groups with variety. The team hope this will encourage a sense of collective stakeholding together with individual identity among the residents.
Communal green amenity space is brought into the centre of the new square for residents. The landscape aims to support different activities for different age groups and interests. The gaps between blocks offer views out to the street, with corresponding views for the public into the central square. All residents look out onto the landscape, with the majority of the units being ‘through’ apartments with rooms on both the street and garden; 97% have a dual aspect to maximise light and natural cross ventilation. Units on the ground floor have terraces and defensible planting as a buffer to the communal square or street, offering private outdoor amenity. Stepped rooftop levels are utilised for private terraces and biodiversity.
The new school next door has recently been completed by Amanda Levete Architects, and a separate dRMM plan will bring landscape to the existing adjacent Symington House site, completing the overall vision of a connected and unified community for this formerly disparate part of Southwark.
